California Fire And Life

35

She's still a looker, Jack thinks.

Shiny black shoulder-length hair, dark Mexican eyes, a body that won't quit. Makeup perfect, just enough jewelry, clothes perfect. It's hotter than hell out but she's wearing a white blazer over her jeans. Jack knows she wears the blazer to disguise the. 38 clipped on her belt.

He's half-surprised she didn't just shoot Nicky.

"My half sister," Letty says. "Same mother, different father."

"I didn't even know you had a sister," Jack says.

"She wasn't around much," Letty says. "In those days she didn't want to remember that she was half-Latina. Christ, I just lost it in there."

"It's okay."

"It's not okay. I'm supposed to be a professional."

"Letty, you're not working this, are you?"

She shakes her head. "Ng finds no smoke in her lungs, he calls over to us and I'm catching. Lucky me. I get to the morgue and I'm like, Oh my God. It's Pam. But I keep my mouth shut that she's my sister because I want to stay on top of what happens."

"Jesus, Letty."

"You know Ng. Ng wants to go out and interview Vale right away. But we better contact the fire inspectors first so they don't get their panties in a wad. He gets Bentley on the horn and-"

"'Don't fuck up my fishing.'"

"You got it," Letty says. "Accidental fire, accidental death. I ask him how come there's no smoke in her lungs and he says 'superheated air.'"

"Superheated air?" Jack asks. "What, he thinks she dropped her cigarette onto a hydrogen bomb?"

"I guess," Letty says. "Anyway, Ng is like, Fuck Bentley. He gets on the phone to Vale to tell him he's coming over and Vale's lawyer conferences in, says he's representing."

Pretty simple, Jack thinks.

Letty calls Bentley, Bentley calls Vale, Vale calls his lawyer.

"So anyway," Letty says, "that ends any chance of interviewing Vale. I mean, I'm about ready to bring him in anyway, then my boss calls me in. He's been getting his ass chewed on by Bentley's boss, and my boss tells me, Sorry, I don't have the stroke right now to take on the Sheriff's. I'm like, The fire inspector blew it, and he's, I know the fire inspector blew it, but Bentley already filed his report that says accidental, and the Sheriff's isn't going to put its guy on the stand and make him eat his own report."

"And?"

"And nothing, Jack," Letty says. "That's it. Major Crimes won't take over the file, and I get assigned to a Missing Persons on two Vietnamese punks with about thirty-seven priors each. Get thee out and find Tranh and Do. Teach me a lesson."

Jack knows the lesson. The lesson is you don't make another deputy look bad.

"So you called me," Jack says.

"Bentley said you'd been fucking around over there."

"And you knew I'd pursue it."

Letty shrugs. "He killed her, Jack. I know he did."

Jack takes her by the hand. Says, "Your sister died from an overdose of pills and alcohol. I saw the ME's report."

Letty shakes her head.

"She didn't drink."

Say what? Jack thinks.

Say what?